Sydney's anti-filter turnout: Photos

The Sydney event was held in Parramatta Park at 1pm on Saturday, 6 March. It began slowly, as the microphones had not yet arrived, nor all the speakers. Attendees mingled near the entrance to the park.

There had been track work on the train line between Granville and Parramatta, which meant that anyone arriving on public transport would likely have been delayed. It also looked like it might rain.

Published: March 8, 2010 -- 04:32 GMT (20:32 PST)

Photo by: Suzanne Tindal/ZDNet.com.au

Caption by: Suzanne Tindal

Finally, the microphone and sound system were found, prompting those who had gathered to move into the sun, where the speeches would be held.

Published: March 8, 2010 -- 04:32 GMT (20:32 PST)

Photo by: Suzanne Tindal/ZDNet.com.au

Caption by: Suzanne Tindal

Event organiser Emma Anderson had told ZDNet.com.au that she was expecting 200 people, but that anywhere up to 700 could come given the number of people on Facebook who had registered interest. However, the meet didn't seem to reach the lower limit of that number.

Published: March 8, 2010 -- 04:32 GMT (20:32 PST)

Photo by: Suzanne Tindal/ZDNet.com.au

Caption by: Suzanne Tindal

Anderson kicked off the speeches just before two o'clock.

Published: March 8, 2010 -- 04:32 GMT (20:32 PST)

Photo by: Suzanne Tindal/ZDNet.com.au

Caption by: Suzanne Tindal

She introduced Xenogene Gray, who featured on the reality television show Beauty and the Geek. He talked about how easy it was for the filter to be circumvented through, for example, IP tunnelling or mirroring.

Published: March 8, 2010 -- 04:32 GMT (20:32 PST)

Photo by: Suzanne Tindal/ZDNet.com.au

Caption by: Suzanne Tindal

Gray signed a petition in front of the crowd.

Published: March 8, 2010 -- 04:32 GMT (20:32 PST)

Photo by: Suzanne Tindal/ZDNet.com.au

Caption by: Suzanne Tindal

Following Gray, Steaphan Markotany from Community Action Against Homophobia spoke about the effects the filter could have on minority groups.

He read a description of what is meant by refused classification.

Publications that:

describe, depict, express or otherwise deal with matters of sex, drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or abhorrent phenomena in such a way that they offend against the standards of morality, decency and propriety generally accepted by reasonable adults to the extent that they should not be classified; or

describe or depict in a way that is likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult, a person who is, or appears to be, a child under 18 (whether the person is engaged in sexual activity or not); or

promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or violence.

"We've got words like morality. We've got words like reasonable person, decency. Who's going to be judging this? It won't be reasonable people," he said. "It's a government who's going to be setting this up — it's a government's view on what's reasonable."

Published: March 8, 2010 -- 04:32 GMT (20:32 PST)

Photo by: Suzanne Tindal/ZDNet.com.au

Caption by: Suzanne Tindal

Then Greens MP Lee Rhiannon took the stage to deliver a fiery speech against the mandatory filter and to rouse people to be active by signing petitions and ringing their local MPs to raise awareness.

The national day of action to protest the government's internet filter took place last weekend, although only some passionate anti-filter people turned up to the event held in Sydney.

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The Sydney event was held in Parramatta Park at 1pm on Saturday, 6 March. It began slowly, as the microphones had not yet arrived, nor all the speakers. Attendees mingled near the entrance to the park.

There had been track work on the train line between Granville and Parramatta, which meant that anyone arriving on public transport would likely have been delayed. It also looked like it might rain.